Sober and beautiful, my husband and son begged for my forgiveness on their knees.

Ning Yan, however, thought she was putting on a brave face for Fatty, and burst out laughing, "Yaoyao, you really are..."

She deliberately didn't continue, waiting to see Ning Yao's reaction.

But after waiting for several seconds, seeing that Ning Yao was still looking at her with an indifferent expression, she couldn't keep up the smile and immediately changed her approach.

"Yaoyao, this bag has a great design. It's the only one in the whole of Whale City that has it. I think it would be perfect as a gift for Mrs. Lu. What do you think?"

Ning Yao said lazily, "Not very good."

Ning Yan's eyes flickered slightly, as if she had found an opportunity to make her point, and she immediately corrected her.

“Yaoyao, you’re looking at this too superficially. The design concept of this outfit is based on the award-winning work of Sophie, who won the Global Design Gold Award last year. Moreover, the perfectly placed arrangement of the subtle patterns on the surface is also designed according to the layout of the seven nights of the starry sky. If it weren’t for the designer’s superb skills and attention to detail, it would be an extremely high level of artistry.”

Ning Yao's originally indifferent expression changed slightly upon hearing her praise.

Ning Yan thought she was provoked by her words and became even more boastful.

One high-sounding word after another came out, making Ning Yao feel incredibly embarrassed...

"Aren't you overthinking it? The designer didn't consider any of what you're saying. She just used the most direct and simple method to let everyone see their own strengths while pursuing quality and to rediscover themselves."

Ning Yan gently smiled and said, "Yaoyao, I know you want to prove that you're not an ignorant housewife, but it's not appropriate for you to make wild guesses about the designer's thoughts. If other people hear this, they might misunderstand you."

Just then, the boss returned, smiling as she handed the payment receipt to Ning Yao. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Our finance department said the money has been transferred. You can check it now."

Ning Yao smiled, accepted the receipt, thanked her, and then prepared to leave.

"Wait," Ning Yan called out to Ning Yao as she accepted the money without batting an eye, "Why did you take the boss's money? Did you pawn the things Jing Mo gave you? Those were all gifts from Jing Mo, how could you treat him like that!"

"Having a vivid imagination is a disease that needs to be cured."

Ning Yao glanced at him indifferently, left those words, and walked away.

Ning Yao wanted to chase after her, but the boss quickly stopped her and explained, "Are you a family member of designer Ning? Please don't misunderstand. She didn't pawn anything here. I gave her money because she is a fashion designer I hired. She will give me new styles every quarter in exchange for her payment."

"What?" Ning Yan exclaimed in disbelief. "You mean your store sells clothes designed by her?"

"Yes, designer Ning is incredibly talented. Her previous best-selling Starry Sky and Deep Sea series were both her creations..."

Ning Yan's face paled. The starry sky series, which even she liked very much, was actually made by Ning Yao? How could that be?

After leaving, Ning Yao couldn't help but reflect on herself. Lu Jingmo's mother's birthday gift... Ha, how ridiculous!

If Lu Mingjin treated him with no respect and bossed him around, and Lu Jingmo was merely an observer, then Lu Jingmo's mother, Chen Wanrong, was the instigator!

The Lu family didn't like her, but Lu Mingjin was their only grandson. From the age of three, he would be picked up by the Lu family's butler for dinner every month.

The bond she shared with Mingjin over six years of mutual dependence was diluted and eventually dissipated after each visit to the Lu residence.

Since she would soon no longer be the daughter-in-law of the Lu family, why should she spend her hard-earned money to please them?

……

Soon it was Mrs. Lu's birthday banquet. Since it wasn't a major birthday celebration, only close relatives and friends of the Lu family were invited.

There were quite a few people, and the scene was very lively. The magnificent hall was filled with a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

Chen Wanrong, dressed in a jade-white cheongsam, sat in the main seat with her husband Lu Baichuan, chatting with her family with a smile.

"Oh dear, speak of the devil and he appears! My sister-in-law was just mentioning Jingmo and Mingjin, and here they are."

"Mingjin seems more composed than before. Jingmo is really good at teaching this child."

"Jingmo is such a filial son. In previous years, the gifts he prepared for his sister-in-law were always very special. I wonder what he prepared for her this year?"

"Yeah, I'm curious too."

Because Lu Jingmo is now in charge of the Lu family, everyone flatters him and his son.

But as they waited and waited, Lu Jingmo still didn't bring out the gift, and everyone's curiosity gradually turned into doubt...

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lu Jingmo and his son could only awkwardly wish Chen Wanrong a happy birthday.

Ning Yao used to handle this, so Lu Jingmo didn't have the habit of having his assistant prepare it.

In addition, he had specifically sent a text message to Ning Yao to remind her, assuming that she would prepare, but he did not expect that she would not even show her face.

Chen Wanrong noticed something amiss from her son and grandson's expressions and immediately tried to smooth things over, "Was it because Yaoyao was delayed and let you arrive first, so the gifts are still with her?"

"Grandma, no..."

Lu Mingjin had suffered a lot of grievances recently and was about to complain when Lu Jingmo stopped her.

“Yes, Mingjin said he wanted to come see Grandma as soon as possible, so I brought him here first. As for Ningyao… she’ll be here soon, I’ll give her a call.”

"No, I'm already here."

As soon as Lu Jingmo turned around, he saw Ning Yao, dressed in a T-shirt and trousers, walk in from the door.

Her hands were empty; she hadn't taken anything with her...